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The Adventure Begins
That year , the organisers decided to start the race from Tollgate , as they considered the climb from Durban City Hall to be too strenuous . Ironically , however , the overall distance would only be minimally shorter than the previous year ’ s 54 miles , as the finish was at the Show Grounds , which are well past the Maritzburg City Hall . The race again started slightly late – seven minutes past 6am – with 89 of the original 114 entrants heading west to Cato Manor and the long , consistent 30km-plus climb to Botha ’ s Hill .
Despite zero training , Bill Payn ( race number 111 ) led the patient Arthur Newton through to Hillcrest , where they parted ways when Payn stopped for bacon , eggs and three cups of coffee . At the top of Botha ’ s Hill , he met up with another runner , ‘ Zulu ’ Wade , the first ever race number 1 from the previous year , where he shared curried chicken and a snowdrift of rice provided by Wade ’ s second . The pair continued to halfway at Drummond , where they stopped to enjoy a quart of beer each , until timekeeper Harold Sulin chased Payn out of the bar , as he was lying sixth in the race . Wade , who had finished the 1921 race in 16th position with a time of 11 hours 21 minutes , stayed in the pub , seemingly content with his one Comrades finish .
Along Harrison Flats , Payn passed a woman supporting the runners who offered him a liquid beverage , which turned out to be a full glass of cherry brandy . “ In a second , I realised I had swallowed a near lethal dose of the rawest liquid I had ever tasted . I am still convinced this charming woman must be given full credit for inventing the first liquid fuel for jet engines ,” said Payn , who was ‘ propelled ’ further along the route . He relied on several drinks of tea to remain hydrated , and is said to have had 36 oranges as well , before stopping to join his in-laws for tea and cake on their veranda just after crossing the Umsindusi Bridge in Maritzburg . This final stop allowed two runners to pass Payn , who eventually finished eighth in 10:56 .
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“ It was said that Greatheart , as Newton was then known , was made famous by the Comrades Marathon . It is equally true to say that he made the Comrades Marathon famous .” |
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Running the race in rugby boots , Payn suffered severe blisters and tried Brilliantine hair cream to address the blistering , but still finished with bloodied feet . Remarkably , he still managed to play a game of rugby the following day , but as a result of the blisters , had to play in plimsoles instead of his rugby boots . ( Modern day runners would finish in the top 50 % with a sub- 11-hour time … and with no wish or contemplation of a rugby match the following day !)
The Original Master
Having left Payn well behind , Newton ’ s consistent , relentless pace took him up through the field to assume the lead just before Camperdown around the 60km mark . Wearing the number 77 below the black saltire cross from his Thames Hare and Hound Club days in the UK , he had half a swig of brandy on the downhill to ‘ Little Polly Shortts ’ and a second at the old Star and Garter pub entering Maritzburg .
Newton ’ s winning time of 8 hours 40 minutes , on debut , did indeed bring him much attention , but insufficient to resolve his challenges with the government regarding compensation , and he relocated to Bulawayo in Rhodesia ( now Zimbabwe ) soon after his fourth consecutive win in 1925 .
Newton would visit South Africa in 1926 and 1927 to run the race again , finishing second in 1926 in
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spite of being undertrained by his high standards , and then winning the race for a fifth time in his final outing . He later returned to the UK , where he published four books on long distance running , and he is widely lauded as the ‘ father of distance running .’ His training techniques remain the principles of success in the sport today .
Both Newton and Payn ’ s stories from that 1922 Comrades highlight the importance of correct pacing , correct sustenance , and the benefit of basic all-round
The commemorative stones for Newton and Payn in Harding
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fitness – something that appears lost in presentday South Africa , which was officially rated as ‘ The Unhealthiest Nation in the World ’ in the 2019 Indigo Wellness Index compiled by Bloomsbury Economics .
The Legends Live On
One hundred years on , the story of these two characters from Harding has been handed down through Comrades generations . Being a passionate Comrades runner , some 35 years ago I visited Harding in search of the Newton memorial stone , which I found near the main road . This past month , after sharing in the Comrades Centenary function at Comrades House in Maritzburg , I headed south to Mthatha and made a hopeful stop along the way in Harding , once again in search of the Newton stone .
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Images : Norrie Williamson & courtesy Bay , Comrades Marathon & Durban High School |